Inadvertent fasting

(Deah Blanke) #1

So…when does this whole inadvertent “just not hungry” thing kick in? I’m almost through week 2 and while I certainly don’t snack as much and perhaps eat smaller meals, I definitely look forward to meal time!!!

Here’s what I ate today and is pretty typical. Sometimes I eat a Quest bar instead of a handful of almonds.

coffee w/heavy cream and a handful of almonds
chicken salad w/homemade mayo and an avocado; roast beef “sandwich” (1/4lb sandwiched between 2 slices of havarti)
piece babybel cheese
cabbage fried in bacon fat and 2 eggs over easy

(Running from stupidity) #2

6-8 weeks for most. Varies wildly from person to person, of course.

(Laurie) #3

I think it’s partly a matter of getting used to eating less than we used to, and getting used to eating fewer vegetables, snacks, treats, etc.

On the other hand, maybe you’re not eating enough?

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #4

It has everything to do with the fact that you are not fat adapted yet.
as @juice says, that typically takes 6-8 weeks.

Right now your body is learning to produce ketones but does not know how to use them effectively. Be patient.

#5

I am a newb (day 7), so I can only share my experience, but for me that happened immediatelly. But I am a fairly big guy, so hitting around 70% of my maco target is still quite a lot of food.

What I noticed though (looking at your breakfast description) is that the only time I actually felt hungry was when I had a smoothie for breakfast (twice so far). Even though it contained the same amount of protein and fat as my “solid” breakfast, I still got hungry after several hours. Maybe it is psychological or my stomach simply needs to feel familiar solids - I have no idea.

With normal breakfast I actually have to think hard if I am hungry or not, I don´t really feel it, even though I eat only twice a day and don´t snack at all - I just don´t have the need anymore.

Which is a huge change compared to before, when eating anything would trigger increadible cravings for sugar, which in turn would trigger cravings for meat again and so on… The only time I get cravings for sugar is when the ads come up on TV - I just have to change the channel fast. Those should be banned just like they banned the ciggarette ads.:slight_smile:

(Running from stupidity) #6

On this very topic, I didn’t have breakfast, then forgot to eat lunch #becausewarframe

Realised at 1730…

(Vladaar Malane) #7

Typically does not happen for me. I have periods where I don’t feel hungry but unless I am fasting I generally remember to eat with others. I guess if I was doing something that required my full attention I could forget it. But generally watching TV at dinner time.

#8

FWIW when I started, it happened almost right away for me also, within a few days at most. I know I took much longer to get fat-adapted though (the usual 6-8 weeks). At the start I was particularly strict about protein and sugar substitutes, my food was considerably more skewed to fat than it is now, I don’t know but I’m guessing that may have helped.

(less is more, more or less) #9

Oh, my. It may never, depending on your emotional disposition. I continue to use fasting (every Friday) to better understand my relationship and “need” to eat. The more I learn, the less sure I am about what it all means. That said, satiety is far easier to manage than it ever was. But it’s not a magic bullet. None of that matters when you consider LCHF is the healthy choice for nutrition. The rest is bacon on top.

Snake oil canola-based :wink:

(Deah Blanke) #10

Interesting. And honestly I don’t know if I’m producing ketones or not because a monitor and strips is not in the budget right now. But I just assumed if I were to be producing ketones, it meant I was fat adapted. Didn’t realized those two things were exclusive.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #11

It takes the mitochondria some time to adapt. Among other things going on.

(Raj Seth) #12

Don’t worry about measuring ketones etc. If you are eliminating carbs, and staying alive, you are in lipolysis, and ergo, ketosis.

Fat adaption is the stage when the fat burning machine in your body has gone from freshman to JV to full on Varsity level. The body can then get all its energy from burning fat - “fat adapted”

Ketones are a byproduct that the brain and a few other parts can use. However, and this gets lost, the bulk of your body is using free fatty acids directly for energy. All your skeletal muscles directly use free fatty acids.

So - just control the carbs - thus lowering your insulin needs - and the body will ramp up fat burning and you will thrive on fat. Whether it be recently ingested fat, or fat from ingestion days, months and years ago…